Velocipede-fork



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

J KNOUS.

VELOGIPEDB FORK.

- N0. 374,542. Patented Dec. 6, 1887.-

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-SheefZ.

J,KNOUS VBLOOIPEDE FORK. No. 374,542. I Patented Dec. 6, 1887.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFF-Ice.

JOHN KNOUS, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE POPE MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF PORTLAND, MAINE.

VELOClPEDE-FORK.

SPECIPICATICN forming part of Letters Patent No. 374,542, dated December 6, 1887.

Application filed May 20, 1887. Serial No. 238,822. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.- 4

Be it known that I, JOHN KNoUs, of the city and county of Hartford, in the State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Velocipede-Forks, of which the following is a specification.

My improvements relate more particularly to those forks or portions of the frames of velocipedes which span and hold bearings for wheels and are connected with fixed or non-rotating axlessnch as the rear wheels of bicycles and the steering-wheels of tricycles-and I shall describe them as applied in the form in which I prefer to the rear fork of a bicycle, though they will be obviously applicable with equal advantages elsewhere. Heretofore such forks have been constructed sometimes-of three pieces of solid wrought metal, one piece forming the crown or arch and the other two pieces forming the arms and axle-lugs, forged separately and welded to the other piece; and sometimes by stamping out of sheet metal or other-.

wise constructing a thin semi-tubular metal with two arms, one for each side of the wheel,

having at their lower ends additional pieces brazed on to form the axle-lugs; and sometimes of a single piece of tubular metal tapered and formed and cut out to make a homogeneous forms of construction, however, there are certain disadvantages which it is desirable to overcome. too little rigidity or too great weight of metal, and in the semi-tubular forms,while lightness is obtained, there is too little rigidity in certain directions, especially a torsional weakness, allowing the wheel to be drawn out of alignment by obstructions in the road, andv there are in the best forms, besides, some difficulties of manufacture.

It is the object of my improvements to construct a fork which shall combine lightness and grace with rigidity in every direction,and

constructing a velocipede-fork with a solid In the solid forms there is either particularly such rigidity as shall best retain the alignment or true of the wheel carried to its proper plane; and my improvement consists, first, in an improvement in the art of arch or crown, and with full tubular arms tapering and thickened toward the lug end with axle-lugs formed integrally therewith; and, secondly, in an improved fork containing the combination, with a crown-piece or arch, of two full tubular arms, each of which is tapered and thickened and formed and constructed with an integral axle-lug, substantially as I will now proceed to describe.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 6 shows a bicycle rear fork embodying my improvements in one form in elevation, and'Fig. 2 shows the same in section. Figs. 3,5, 7, and 11 show in elevation arm-pieces at different stages of construction; and Figs. 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12 show sections of the same, respectively, on the broken lines of the other figures; and Fig. 13 shows in perspective a forging for the crown-piece or arch.

AA are the fork-arms; B B, the axle-lugs. C is a crown-piece or arch, to which the arms are attached by brazing or otherwise, and D is a tenon forattachment to the perch or frame of the velocipede. v

In constructing a fork according to my improved methodItake for each fork two pieces of tube, as S, Figs. 3 and 4, of suitable length, and taper each by means of a pony-hammer to the form shown, as T, in Figs. 5 and 6, in such manner as to thicken the metallic shell at the smaller end. I then, by means of dies or otherwise,for a bicycle rear fork, curve the tapered tube, as shown at U, Figs. 7 and 8. I then, by means of dies or formers, compress the hitherto tapered, thickened, and curved cylindrical tube into a flattened or nearly elliptical form, as shown at B and Figs. 9 and 10. I then form upon the smaller end a flattened lug, B, consisting in two thicknesses of the thickened tube compressed together integrally with the fork-arm and strengthened by the gradual approach of the two sides of the elliptical fork end and without the addition of other metal. This lug is perforated, as shown, to receive the end of an axle or back wheel, B. I form, mo

by drop-forging the arch or crown-piece G and tenon D in one piece, as shown in Fig. 13,the crown-piece having two short stubs, c 0, to each of which the larger end of an arm, A, may be brazed or otherwise secured.

I am aware that heretofore velocipede-forks have been made for front wheels of bicycles with a forged head for a crown-piece or arch with stubs, to which tubular fork-arms were attached, and that forgings forming lugs for bearings have been attached by brazing or otherwise to the lower ends of such forks, and I therefore do not claim, broadly, a veloei pede-fork having tubular arms.

I claim as new and of my invention- Witnesses:

A. J. XVELLEs, E. S. HOUSE. 

